A note on the Amazon ads: I've chosen to display current events titles in the Amazon box. Unfortunately, Amazon appears to promote a disproportionate number of angry-left books. I have no power over it at this time. Rest assured, I'm still a conservative.
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Thursday, December 15, 2005
Why Oregon sucks: I'm not talking about the football team, I'm talking about the state. I must confess that I haven't spent much time in the state. I lived in Aberdeen, Wash., for nearly two years, and I flew out of the Portland Airport a couple of times. I passed through the state on my way to that job in Washington, and again when I got a job back in California.
And that's where I got to not liking Oregon. Why? Because, in Oregon, it's against the law to pump your own gas. Why? The reason I was given was because disabled people need help and the Oregon legislature thought the only way to guarantee that they got help when they needed it was to require the gas stations to have someone on duty at all times dedicated to pumping gas -- or something. Frankly, it's stupid. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
So, I'm not really surprised to find out that the nutjobs running that state are Green central planners.
Oregonians in Action started over and drew up a new initiative, Measure 37, designed to satisfy Judge Lipscomb's complaints. The new language also solved the money concern, by offering government a choice between compensating property owners and simply exempting them from restrictions. And last year, despite being outspent four-to-one by national green groups, and overwhelming opposition from the press and Democrats, Measure 37 passed by 61%--among the most popular citizen-initiatives in state history.
Not that it mattered. Even as the state moved ahead, receiving thousands of Measure 37 claims and granting exemptions, environmental critics went back to court. And this October, Judge Mary James, also of Marion County, came up with five objections to the law--most insurmountable. At the top of this piece of creative writing was her argument that the law was unconstitutional because it limited the power of the state government over private land. Put another way, Oregonians have absolutely no right to defend against any state use of their property.
I really can't describe the things I think should be done to a communist (and I think that's an apt description of her politics) like Judge Mary James without getting a visit from the FBI. One might think about getting buddy-buddy with some judge in Oregon and refusing to pay your mortgage -- after all, Judge James has ruled that you don't own your property, the state does -- if those banks want the mortgage payment, go talk to the state.
And that's the problem with too many judges today -- making laws, instead of adjudicating. The level of arrogance is astounding.
Shakespeare had it right -- kill all the lawyers.
1:17 AM
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